Olympia man accused of promoting father’s suicide

Published 1:26 pm Friday, April 15, 2011

OLYMPIA — The Lewis County sheriff’s office has extradited an Olympia man from Mexico to face accusations that he played a role in his father’s death so he could collect a life-insurance policy.

Thirty-four-year-old Ken Varner is charged with theft and promoting a suicide attempt in the death of Jim Varner. He was a 49-year-old former state trooper and an investigator with the Department of Labor and Industries when he killed himself in February 2006 in a car on a Forest Service road near Packwood.

The Olympian reports Jim and Ken Varner had been under investigation in insurance-fraud scheme involving a classic car.

Ken Varner pleaded guilty to theft in the case but fled to Mexico before his sentencing.